The present invention relates to an image communication method and apparatus.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the construction of a general facsimile apparatus having an ink-jet printer as a recording apparatus.
In FIG. 10, numeral 200a is a facsimile controller system, and numeral 200b is an ink-jet printer system. In this facsimile apparatus, data transmitted from the facsimile controller system 200a is received by the ink-jet printer system 200b, and the image data for recording included in the received data is printed on a recording medium.
Numeral 200 is a facsimile controller (FAX controller) which performs reading of an original image, control of transmission/reception via to a telephone communication line, and sending of data transmission and recording instructions to an ink-jet printer system 200b. Numeral 201 is a memory for the facsimile controller system which stores read data of an original or reception data received from the telephone communication line. That is, the FAX controller 200 sends operation instructions to an ink-jet printer system 200b via a serial interface 202, and supervises the state of the ink-jet printer system 200b , e.g. noting error states caused by running out of paper.
Numeral 203 is an interface circuit for printer data (printer interface), which transmits a control code and image data to execute recording with respect to the ink-jet printer system 200b. As an example of the printer interface 203, there is a CENTRONICS interface which is generally by a printer controller.
The construction of the ink-jet printer system 200b is described below.
In FIG. 10, numeral 210 is a printer CPU which performs various controls in the ink-jet printer system 200b. Numeral 211 is a memory for the ink-jet printer system 200b which stores data received from facsimile controller system 200a. Numeral 212 is a serial interface which receives operation instructions transmitted from the facsimile controller system 200a. Furthermore, the serial interface 212 transmits the facsimile controller system 200a from the instruction of the ink-jet printer system 200b.
Numeral 213 is an interface circuit for print data (printer interface) which receives a control code and image data transmitted from the facsimile controller system 200a. Numeral 214 is a register block capable of reading and writing. The printer CPU 210 writes the received image data into the register block 214, and converts the written image data to correspond to the recording form of a printer head 216, and then outputs it. The printer CPU 210 can read the converted result.
Numeral 215 is a head controller of the ink-jet printer which is initialized by the instruction of the printer CPU 210. The head controller 215 fetches recording data out of the memory 211, and performs transmission of recording data and recording control to the ink-jet head 216. The ink-jet head 216 performs recording in accordance with the control of the head controller 215 driven by a driver 215a. Numeral 217 is a carriage motor, and numeral 218 is a line feed motor. These motors are respectively driven by a control signal of the printer CPU 210.
The operation of the facsimile system having the above-described ink-jet printer is described below.
The facsimile controller 200 sequentially supervises the state of the ink-jet printer system 200b via the serial interface 202 or the printer interface 203. When it is determined that the ink-jet printer system 200b is in the standby state, the image data which is a result of reading on original or a result of data reception is stored in the memory 201. If a predetermined amount of image data is stored in the memory 201, the facsimile controller 200 transmits the recording start instruction to the ink-jet printer system 200b.
The ink-jet printer system 200b starts receiving data from the facsimile controller system 200a as a result of such instruction. That is, the data transmitted from the printer interface 203 is received by the printer interface 213, and is sequentially stored in the memory 211. The printer CPU 210 supervises this, and fetches the data when a predetermined amount of data has been stored in this way in the memory 211. Subsequently, the printer CPU 210 deletes data which is unnecessary for recording, and converts the remaining data into the recording data for ink-jet recording by the register block 214. The recording data generated in this way is stored in a predetermined recording data area in the memory 211 which is reserved as a print buffer.
After the recording data storage, the ink-jet head 216 starts recording. The printer CPU 210 performs recording processing at a predetermined timing. At the recording timing, the printer CPU 210 sets recording control data obtained from the result by referring to ambient temperature and humidity and the history of past recording data stored in the head controller 215, and then transmits a recording start signal. At the same time, the printer CPU 210 transmits control signals to the carriage motor 217 and line feed motor 218 respectively. The head controller 215 to which the recording start signal is transmitted from the printer CPU 210 reads the recording data out of the recording data area of the memory 211, drives the ink-jet head 216 in accordance with the predetermined recording control data, and performs recording on the recording medium.
The above-described general facsimile apparatus performs interface between the facsimile controller system 200a and the ink-jet printer system 200b by an printer interface. Accordingly, the facsimile controller system 200a and the ink-jet printer system 200b respectively require a printer interface circuit, serial interface circuit and data storage memory. This makes it more difficult to reduce the size of the apparatus and to reduce its cost.
Furthermore, since the above-described facsimile apparatus does not include a function to receive data transmitted from a personal computer, storage, recording or transmission to a telephone communication line of the data transmitted from the personal computer via the printer interface can not be processed.